What the F Society: PCMag Talks Mr. Robot Season 2, Episode 11 (Part 2)

Last night was the Mr. Robot finale. Finally some answers! Or not, as Sam Esmail left us with an unexpected cliffhanger.

Usually when a character is shot in the last few minutes of a finale, we don't learn their fate until the next season. But though Elliot is bleeding out seconds before the credits roll, we're pretty sure he makes it thanks to a call Tyrell places to Angela. And that is the true cliffhanger: what made Angela join the Dark Army? Will they succeed with Stage 2 now they've disabled the one person who could dismantle the attack? (Even if he planned it.) We'll have to wait until next season to find out, and some of us at PCMag are not happy about that.

PCMaggers Eric Griffith, Matthew Buzzi, Victoria Song, Pete Haas, Rob Marvin, and Chandra Steele chatted for half an hour (or a Sam Esmail-ish half hour) on Slack today about this week's Mr. Robot. Read on for our discussion.

If you're behind, see our chat about the first part of episode 11. If you're really behind, watch Mr. Robot season one on Amazon Prime. Also check out Chandra's recent conversation with Carly Chaikin, who plays Darlene, and Evan Dashevsky's chat with Kor Adana, the show's technology producer and a former hacker himself, in the video below.

Steele [10:31]

So how did everybody like Fight Club?

Griffith [10:32 AM]

I felt like Characters are no longer welcome on USA.

Steele [10:32 AM]

That jab was so weak

Control yourself, Sam

He tried it for three lines, too

Like an elderly uncle with a bad joke

We heard you the first time

Griffith [10:33 AM]

jab, or shout out to his glorious network masters? we may never know, depends on how he really felt about Burn Notice.

Steele [10:33 AM]

That's some blue-sky thinking

Haas [10:33 AM]

I'm surprised he didn't turn to the camera and say "Burn Notice, now on Blu-ray!"

Steele [10:33 AM]

Darlene's expression at least fit that situation

Haas [10:33 AM]

it was peak smug for a show that basically runs on it

Marvin [10:34 AM]

haha "peak smug"

Steele [10:34 AM]

This whole episode was peak smug for sure

Buzzi [10:34 AM]

I weirdly enjoyed that for some reason

Song [10:34 AM]

I...

Marvin [10:34 AM]

I mean it worked in certain scenes for sure, like Darlene and Gumshoe's battle of wits

Song [10:34 AM]

felt somewhat let down?

Steele [10:34 AM]

To do a season finale and leave so much unanswered

@Song that call with Angela

I felt for you

Song [10:35 AM]

I think the feel of the episode was good, and scenes from the last two episodes were brilliant.

Haas [10:35 AM]

but hey, at least we solved that wheelbarrow mystery!

Buzzi [10:35 AM]

USA nod was for sure dumb, but I liked them being like YOU'RE NOT ON A TV SHOW

Steele [10:35 AM]

When he started crying and quoting William Carlos Williams

Song [10:35 AM]

But overall, this was a messy season.

Steele [10:35 AM]

I wanted Tyrell to be dead then

Song [10:35 AM]

@Steele that angela phone call.

ugh

Griffith [10:35 AM]

I liked that the Dark Army guy in the elevator was also eating from Red Wheelbarrow BBQ

Haas [10:35 AM]

speaking of which: his dad only knows that poem? out of all english?

Song [10:36 AM]

having immigrant parents, that makes sense

Steele [10:36 AM]

That Dark Army guy was the guy who was in the Faraday room before Whiterose in season 1

Marvin [10:36 AM]

I'm still not fully sure I understood the Angela phone call tbh.

Haas [10:36 AM]

that's what he decided to learn out of the english language? not "where is the bathroom" or "I'd like the hamburger"?

Griffith [10:36 AM]

Angela is now Whiterose's new chess piece

Steele [10:36 AM]

We're supposed to believe that Tyrell and Elliot bonded over not liking their dads?

Song [10:36 AM]

My understanding of the Angela phone call was that she's with the Dark Army.

Steele [10:36 AM]

Enough to try to end the world economy?

Song [10:36 AM]

And that Elliot getting shot by Tyrell was part of the plan?

Steele [10:36 AM]

I could see if they just took a ride together at Coney Island and split a hot dog

Griffith [10:36 AM]

They split a popcorn-covered gun

Haas [10:36 AM]

yeah, the sudden closeness between tyrell and elliot was very jarring

Song [10:37 AM]

I didn't find that to be the case;

Steele [10:37 AM]

The one thing they really share is mental instability

Song [10:37 AM]

I think I'm remembering last season though

Buzzi [10:37 AM]

Well, I don't think she was always with them, or anything like that. But that her last meeting filled her in, she bought whatever Whiterose was selling she said 'they' told me to expect your call

Song [10:37 AM]

I think Tyrell feels close to Mr. Robot version of Elliot

Haas [10:37 AM]

yeah, see it's been so long since season 1 that I don't remember their relationship at all

Marvin [10:37 AM]

Their exchanges this episode were very soap operatic.

Buzzi [10:37 AM]

Well, that's the thing

We didn't SEE their interactions at all last season

Song [10:37 AM]

whereas Elliot wasn't there for most of Mr. Robot/Tyrell bonding, which is why it feels jarring to HIM.

Marvin [10:37 AM]

Maybe that's just because I'm not used to Wellick at all because we haven't actually seen the guy

Haas [10:37 AM]

that makes sense

Buzzi [10:38 AM]

It was all Mr Robot interacting with him on Elliot's behalf

Steele [10:38 AM]

I did like Tyrell's unhinged declaration of love for Elliot

After he shot him

Song [10:38 AM]

When has Tyrell ever been hinged?

Griffith [10:38 AM]

next season: montage of Mr. Robot and Tyrell eating hotdogs on the roller coaster, holding hands.

Song [10:38 AM]

stahp trying to ruin my ship!

Steele [10:38 AM]

Yeah, I am shipping Tyrell and Elliot over Elliot and Angela

Buzzi [10:38 AM]

For sure

Haas [10:38 AM]

right, I could've used at least a scene of mr robot and tyrell being bros

Steele [10:38 AM]

Sorry, Victoria

Song [10:38 AM]

lol

it's okay

I will go down with this ship

Buzzi [10:39 AM]

they had that one scene flashback

Haas [10:39 AM]

Tyrelliot

Steele [10:39 AM]

She was fine with him being shot!

She seems to have OK'd it even

Marvin [10:39 AM]

Jersey Boys and Jersey Girls. Four peas in a pod!

Song [10:39 AM]

Well she said she was fine with it

[10:39]

whether or not she actually is?

Steele [10:39 AM]

Angela is team Angela

Song [10:39 AM]

At this point I don't believe anything anyone says on the show

Buzzi [10:39 AM]

Seemed like she was. She was very collected about it

Griffith [10:39 AM]

Biggest waste of the episode, maybe the season: so much time on Joanna. Even though I feel like we know the character better than some.... she had, in the end, nothing to do with this main plot. At all.

Steele [10:39 AM]

Yes! Joanna turned out to have such a weak plotline

Buzzi [10:39 AM]

Yup! Chandra and I were talking about that.

Song [10:40 AM]

I feel like she was part of a misdirection

Griffith [10:40 AM]

she better have a big role to play in the future. or she's just Mr. Eko.

Song [10:40 AM]

you're supposed to wonder if she's talking to Tyrell

Steele [10:40 AM]

All that acting and then she's just trying to get Tyrell off on a murder charge?

Buzzi [10:40 AM]

All of her involvement just to clear that murder charge? He's still wanted in something with a way bigger profile

Song [10:40 AM]

but it's just a misdirection

Steele [10:40 AM]

He's going to jail forevs for the 5/9 hack so

Haas [10:40 AM]

I guess she's this wild card whose story could pay off way down the line

Marvin [10:40 AM]

If that was what they were building to with Joanna, they should've just killed her. As much as I hate to say that because that actress is great.

Song [10:40 AM]

I think she was more of a dangling thread this season

that the writers didn't really know how to pull back into the fold

Steele [10:40 AM]

Yeah, I was hoping that he would have just killed her

Because the boy toy and his Cocktail posters would have gone, too

Griffith [10:41 AM]

she doesn't want to get Tyrell off the charge, just get Scott in trouble. though I think she wanted the beating.

Buzzi [10:41 AM]

Oh, you know, I totally forgot she might be down for that

Song [10:41 AM]

"wanted"

I think she thought it'd be useful

as a tool to get that dumb bartender to do what she wants

Buzzi [10:41 AM]

Well, you remember the sex scenes though

Steele [10:41 AM]

She has certainly braced herself for it

Buzzi [10:41 AM]

Or was that all practice?

Griffith [10:41 AM]

she might not have thought he'd so quite so far.

Buzzi [10:41 AM]

:open_mouth:

Griffith [10:42 AM]

but she pushed him even when he was choking her.

Steele [10:42 AM]

I can't believe that guy is still showing up for work as CTO

Song [10:42 AM]

Well she's kind of petty.

Well what else is he gonna do?

Steele [10:42 AM]

He can't even walk from one room to the next

Buzzi [10:42 AM]

Yeah...he's gotta be a pretty....absentee member right now

Steele [10:42 AM]

And somehow he's running E Corp during its biggest tech crisis?

Song [10:42 AM]

Speaking of E Corp

Price MIA

Whiterose MIA

Griffith [10:42 AM]

with no lawyer and no CTO showing up, who does Price have to talk to? No wonder he walks in the rain with Whiterose

they were definitely missed.

Steele [10:43 AM]

I wish Whiterose had been there even for a second

Song [10:43 AM]

WTF is going on at Washington Township

Marvin [10:43 AM]

I did not expect Whiterose's Twin Peaks room scene with Angela to be the last scene of the season.

Buzzi [10:43 AM]

Yeah, lets back up: we finally found out what the big plot is...and it's an extension of the season 1 plot?

Griffith [10:43 AM]

yep

Marvin [10:43 AM]

They're just destroying all the paper E-Corp records.

Griffith [10:43 AM]

make sure the original hack sticks

by burning paper

Song [10:43 AM]

Well that's what they're doing.

Steele [10:43 AM]

An extension of the season 1 plot and literally another season finale right from a Fight Club scene

Marvin [10:43 AM]

Erasing the company from the earth.

Song [10:43 AM]

Trenton and mobley

however

Buzzi [10:43 AM]

Following through on destroying it for real--which, though disappointing maybe from a TV standpoint, does at least make sense

Steele [10:44 AM]

The building is the one that was blown up in Elliot's dream

Griffith [10:44 AM]

makes definite sense to Mr. Robot.

Marvin [10:44 AM]

@Song Joey! I hope he picked up a Seinfeld DVD from the store after he popped them.

Song [10:44 AM]

Did he pop them though?

Steele [10:44 AM]

Joey Bada$$ is about to kill them

Marvin [10:44 AM]

I mean.

Song [10:44 AM]

"Do you have the time?"

Griffith [10:44 AM]

I don't think so

Steele [10:44 AM]

And his line was directly from Basket Case, also of the dream sequence

Griffith [10:44 AM]

he was there to look out for Elliot. could be there to look out for them.

Marvin [10:44 AM]

All that talk of the DA "cleaning house" and whatnot

Steele [10:44 AM]

So Stage 2 has definitely started

As Trenton and Mobley end

Song [10:45 AM]

I think...aside from the prison reveal

it's not always about the obvious with Mr. Robot

Haas [10:45 AM]

but joey bada$$ worked for dark army, didn't he? doesn't seem like he'd want two loose ends hanging around

Song [10:45 AM]

but even the prison reveal was "intentionally" telegraphed

Griffith [10:45 AM]

But how much of the Dark Army works for Mr. Robot?

Steele [10:45 AM]

The Dark Army was definitely having everyone involved in the hack killed

Song [10:45 AM]

I mean but Angela was a huge loose end

Steele [10:45 AM]

As Dom's board showed

Song [10:46 AM]

even Whiterose said she could've been killed 90 days earlier

but they didn't do it

Steele [10:46 AM]

Angela had more interest for Whiterose

Song [10:46 AM]

and if the FBI knew about Elliot all along

the whole thing about the finale was that python metaphor

Griffith [10:46 AM]

And interest in Angela because of Mr. Robot saying so.

Buzzi [10:46 AM]

Trenton and Mobley weren't crossed out on the FBI board, if that means anything

Song [10:46 AM]

about waiting

Steele [10:46 AM]

Yet

Griffith [10:46 AM]

Was Trenton on the board?

Song [10:46 AM]

which yanno felt a bit like explaining season 2

"wait for it guys!"

Steele [10:46 AM]

Madame Executioner wasn't either

Song [10:46 AM]

and by it, we mean season 3

Buzzi [10:46 AM]

True

Steele [10:46 AM]

So they don't have Darlene for murder yet

Song [10:47 AM]

Madame Executioner was

I thought

Buzzi [10:47 AM]

Darlene did some good resisting for a while, til she didnt

Steele [10:47 AM]

Season 3 is going to have Brad Pitt

He's free now, I hear

Darlene did good resisting until Dom told her she was special

Song [10:47 AM]

I didn't know whether or not Darlene felt like she was cornered or not when she saw the FBI board

Steele [10:47 AM]

Like the woman who kidnapped her

I think Darlene was like who tf is Tyrell?

Griffith [10:47 AM]

Darlene saw that her bro and Tyrell were in on it together for the first time.

Buzzi [10:47 AM]

Yeah, was that it? Was she just as surprised to see him on there?

Steele [10:48 AM]

Even though he's been in the news, I don't think she has any idea there's a tie to Elliot truly

Griffith [10:48 AM]

speaking of swearing, why is USA/Showcase okay with the C word but not the F word? What the C?

Song [10:48 AM]

Ah. Well Tyrell was alive on their board. Btw, I'm happy he wasn't fake.

Steele [10:48 AM]

Cs are welcome on USA

Buzzi [10:48 AM]

Bleeping the F word is so annoying

Marvin [10:48 AM]

If Tyrell was fake, that would've been the nail in the season. The prison reveal already blighted half the season, and that would've blighted the other half.

Buzzi [10:49 AM]

Glad he wasnt fake too, but we also knew it. And though tense, we knew his gun pointed at Elliot was real

Song [10:49 AM]

Also, random thought: Was happy to see the book-ending with Elliot getting shot.

Steele [10:49 AM]

It's better Tyrell wasn't fake but did it really need until the last few moments of the season to confirm that?

Marvin [10:49 AM]

No. We did not.

Song [10:49 AM]

With Mr. Robot pointing the gun to Elliot's head in the first episode

Marvin [10:49 AM]

They could've gone so much further with this season in every way, really.

Song [10:49 AM]

and then Tyrell actually shooting him in the last episode

that I liked

Steele [10:49 AM]

There is still no word on what that Washington Township facility is

Song [10:49 AM]

Esmail loves his first-last episode symmetry

Steele [10:49 AM]

When I saw the plans at first I thought they were for that

Buzzi [10:49 AM]

This really could've been like a mid-season finale, with a lot of this stuff cut out. Like really, the entire prison stuff served little purpose and took up so much time

Song [10:50 AM]

^^^

This entire season felt a bit like a filler episode

Steele [10:50 AM]

And these episodes were stretched out past the usual hour, too

Haas [10:50 AM]

yeah, they wasted an incredible amount of time

Marvin [10:50 AM]

Except THIS one!

Steele [10:50 AM]

Then on this one we lost nearly 10 minutes to some new show

Buzzi [10:50 AM]

Yeah, it did. Parts were good and it was *well done*, but the plot advancement was sooo slow

Song [10:50 AM]

I actually feel like Game of Thrones and Mr. Robot have a lot in common, in that sense.

Marvin [10:50 AM]

At the end of the day, USA is still USA.

Song [10:50 AM]

Where you have an entire season of buildup

and then OMG FINALE SHIT GOES DOWN

Buzzi [10:50 AM]

Yeah but in GoT things actually happen

Song [10:50 AM]

and the goodness of an entire season hinges on that finale

Steele [10:50 AM]

Now we have to wait a year

Griffith [10:50 AM]

GoT did that... until this season. now it's all about forward momentum just to fit everything in.

Steele [10:51 AM]

A year

Buzzi [10:51 AM]

also it has more episodes where things happen

Song [10:51 AM]

No I agree, but I think if MR. Robot had had a mind-blowing finale

we could've forgiven a lot of the meandering this season

Buzzi [10:51 AM]

It would've definitely made all of that better yeah

Griffith [10:51 AM]

I feel like most of the season was better than this finale.

Buzzi [10:51 AM]

Instead it was one big check mark confirming what anyone paying attention knew

Haas [10:51 AM]

yeah, I do feel like game of thrones won a lot of people back this season just by ending really strong

Steele [10:51 AM]

I was willing to forgive all if this episode had given more

Song [10:51 AM]

But it was really a lot of navel gazing this season

Griffith [10:52 AM]

they get a lot of, um, slack from me for the 80s sitcom with ALF

Song [10:52 AM]

and then Elliot's speech about regaining control

and then him not having any

It was a bit...

Buzzi [10:52 AM]

Some character development is cool and necessary, I get it. Builds the world. But still.

Song [10:52 AM]

what was the point of the season long chess metaphor then?

Steele [10:52 AM]

Oh, Ray

I forgot about Ray

Marvin [10:52 AM]

This finally blew my mind momentarily, until I got over the initial shock value (because say what you will about Esmail, he's very good at staging "game-changers") and then I realized all the things it didn't do and that most of the plot points it did resolve we're fairly surface level and low-hanging fruit.

Steele [10:53 AM]

@Marvin that is an issue I have had with other shows (Doctor Who, I mean you)

Song [10:53 AM]

I think...Season 3 is where it'll either all pay off or it won't.

Steele [10:53 AM]

There's this moment of being superimpressed

And then I'll walk away and think, that was total bullshit

Marvin [10:53 AM]

Fool me once..

Griffith [10:53 AM]

Doctor Who--my absolute fav--is the worst. because it does exactly that.

Steele [10:53 AM]

I was so in when they started with that Kraftwerk Song , too

I thought this would be the best episode

Buzzi [10:53 AM]

Yeah, which is unfortunate for the 2nd season, but sophomore slump I guess. It was still well made and acted, just, the small plot points moved on and the larger one barely went anywhere

Griffith [10:53 AM]

Much like LOST with it's emotionally satisfying ending that, when you think about it, you're like: god dammit.

Buzzi [10:53 AM]

Most plot developments happened to Darlene and friends

Marvin [10:53 AM]

Yessss that spooky synth title card sucked me in immediately.

Song [10:54 AM]

It was just really messy and kind of lost sight of where it was going.

Buzzi [10:54 AM]

I said that from the start!

Steele [10:54 AM]

I will watch Season 3 but I will be mad about it

Haas [10:54 AM]

this season and F society have the same arc

Steele [10:54 AM]

Madder than Pete was this season

Song [10:54 AM]

Like you could see direction in Season 1. There was a line going somewhere. Season 2 was this big messy web radiating but...

going nowhere

and going everywhere at the same time

Steele [10:55 AM]

I want to be the Dark Army and destroy all those loose threads

Song [10:55 AM]

Well, Esmail could always take a page from GRRM

[10:55]

and initiate a great CULLING

Buzzi [10:55 AM]

Stuff did definitely happen, if you think about Darlene and Mobley and Cisco and co. But it was a lot of underworkings of the larger plot. All Elliot stuff that advanced the plot took place in like, the last 2 episodes

Haas [10:55 AM]

please kill the FBI agent

Song [10:55 AM]

lol Pete's saltiness is great

Haas [10:55 AM]

I can't take another sad scene with Alexa

Marvin [10:55 AM]

Season 1 ended by basically blowing everything up, and so what I was really looking for from S2 was an entirely different show. One that lived in the new world they created with the hack. What we got was a lot of re-hashing and character development mired in circles

Griffith [10:55 AM]

I think Ginger Streep is here to stay.

Buzzi [10:55 AM]

Dom sucks and has sucked from the start

Song [10:55 AM]

Aw.

Steele [10:56 AM]

Dom is a plot device not a person

Buzzi [10:56 AM]

Yes

Song [10:56 AM]

I like Dom, not her lollipop

Haas [10:56 AM]

^

Song [10:56 AM]

But I gotta say the women of Season 2 were great.

Steele [10:56 AM]

They truly were

Griffith [10:56 AM]

Agreed.

Song [10:56 AM]

hot messes. All of them.

Buzzi [10:56 AM]

Team Angela

Griffith [10:56 AM]

the episode without Elliot was one of the best of the season.

Buzzi [10:56 AM]

for being the messiest

Marvin [10:56 AM]

The women carried this season.

Song [10:56 AM]

I'm on Team Angela.

I will carry that torch.

Steele [10:56 AM]

Darlene in that second when she says Cisco might have been the love of her life in the middle of her telling Dom off

Marvin [10:56 AM]

I've said it before. Portia Doubleday in particular stepped her game UP

Song [10:57 AM]

Saddest Karaoke Night.

Everybody wants to rule the world.

Marvin [10:57 AM]

Carly Chaikin was great but I felt like Darlene was under-utilized for most of the season.

Song [10:57 AM]

Really? I thought she was great all season.

Buzzi [10:57 AM]

I will also say Portia Doubleday is just the greatest name

Marvin [10:57 AM]

She was great. I just wanted even more Darlene.

Song [10:57 AM]

I think they used her the right amount.

Griffith [10:57 AM]

I hope Portia Doubleday marries Benedict Cumberbatch.

Buzzi [10:57 AM]

Yeah there was a looot of Darlene, and she was good

hah^

Steele [10:58 AM]

Portia Doubleday did great acting but the character was all over the place with motivation

Song [10:58 AM]

Portia Doubleday-Cumberbatch

That's a mouthful

Griffith [10:58 AM]

DoubleCumberDayBatch

sounds dirty

Haas [10:58 AM]

yeah, I'm not actually sure where Angela stands anymore. but I guess we're supposed to be confused about her?

Song [10:58 AM]

She's, I think, supposed to be playing all sides

Buzzi [10:58 AM]

I think her real character was really confused about her own motivations too, so I kinda dig it

Griffith [10:59 AM]

Angela definitely confusing. i wish we'd been 100% clear on if she hates Price the whole time. But hard to tell.

Haas [10:59 AM]

she's the Jack Sparrow of Mr Robot

Steele [10:59 AM]

She's going to be Price one day

Marvin [10:59 AM]

I find it hard to believe she's been DA the whole time. Unless Whiterose Manchurian Candidated her and that's part of the Washington Township mystery

Steele [10:59 AM]

If she continues on this path

Haas [10:59 AM]

just bouncing from side to side, scheme to scheme

Song [10:59 AM]

I dont' think she was DA the entire time

just the last two episodes

Buzzi [10:59 AM]

I think she did, and she set out on this mission to get some revenge, but she got a little intoxicated by the power and position

Song [10:59 AM]

Well, the last 1.5 episodes

Steele [10:59 AM]

Yeah I think she recently joined up

Griffith [10:59 AM]

she only became DA after going to the White Lodge in the suburbs

Steele [10:59 AM]

Whiterose put those 28 min to use with the cult initiation

Buzzi [10:59 AM]

Yeah for sure, she was clearly confused about what was happening

Song [10:59 AM]

I also feel there was a lot of subliminal messaging for fans to not jump ship

Song [10:59 AM]

like that poster in the last episode when angela's taking that weird test

"Keep hanging on!!!"

Steele [11:00 AM]

I thought that message was for us about this finale

But the poster lied

Griffith [11:00 AM]

"have you ever cried during sex?" you need a kitten poster when asked that.

Buzzi [11:00 AM]

Man. That scene was so whack.

Steele [11:00 AM]

Especially if it's by you as a child

Song [11:00 AM]

Also, I can't keep up with all the pop culture references

Steele [11:00 AM]

I think the references ultimately mean nothing

Song [11:00 AM]

Angela got asked about a key in that scene

then Trenton talks about a key

Buzzi [11:01 AM]

Yeah I'll fully admit to not catching so and so book or music choice

Griffith [11:01 AM]

that's what keeps people coming back: just IDing pop culture references!

Steele [11:01 AM]

It's just a bunch of things Sam Esmail likes that he managed to fit into a puzzle whose pieces do not go together

Song [11:01 AM]

Btw, I'm here for a Trenton/Mobley spinoff

Steele [11:01 AM]

That's going to be a short spinoff

Haas [11:01 AM]

^

Griffith [11:01 AM]

all set to Kenny Rogers tunes

Song [11:01 AM]

Nah, Leon's gonna join them

and they'll go on a motley road trip across the US

Steele [11:01 AM]

That song was my prom song

But the Bob Seger version

Griffith [11:02 AM]

Joey Bada$$ falls for Trenton.

Haas [11:02 AM]

they're going to create a private eye agency

every week, they help a different person!

Song [11:02 AM]

I'd watch that show so hard.

Steele [11:02 AM]

In Burbank CA, their new home

Where they have roommate problems

Griffith [11:02 AM]

was that definitely Burbank?

Steele [11:02 AM]

I Googled and it was

Buzzi [11:02 AM]

Oh and did Romero really just get killed by a stray bullet?!

Marvin [11:02 AM]

I'm still very much committed to the show, despite how messy and uneven and ultimately unsatisfying S2 was. It's one of the few shows that continually tries things and attempts to be a wholly unique experience. Sophomore slumps are not uncommon, particularly when an "auteur" showrunner is given too much freedom after an amazing first season. Esmail has plenty of time to learn from his rookie mistakes and tighten :clap: everything :clap: up :clap: so they can get this plot MOVING to a point where the twists are earned, not forced after episodes of stalling.

Steele [11:02 AM]

That distinctive exterior made it easy

Griffith [11:02 AM]

I was hoping they were in New Mexico near Walter White....

Song [11:02 AM]

I think Romero did get killed by a stray bullet

In a freak accident

Buzzi [11:02 AM]

And it sent them all running. Oof.

Steele [11:03 AM]

Darlene's face

Song [11:03 AM]

It'd be a kicker of a thing; assigning meaning to random events etc

Griffith [11:03 AM]

I agree with Rob.

1000%

Marvin [11:03 AM]

@Griffith that shot gave me a BB vibe for sure!

Buzzi [11:03 AM]

Yeah Rob, I'm still pretty down for what it tries and being well made

Song [11:03 AM]

Also, I think Esmail needs an editor

Marvin [11:03 AM]

Just had to get that off my chest.

Buzzi [11:03 AM]

It's fun and dramatic, even though the plot/episode choices could use some work

Steele [11:03 AM]

I think we can commit to showing up at Mr. Robot filming locations in the coming year

Song [11:03 AM]

:eyes: an editor would help Esmail a lot

Steele [11:03 AM]

So that we can try to figure out what's going on

Song [11:04 AM]

slap him on the wrist when he conceives big things that go nowhere

Buzzi [11:04 AM]

Pete will be the FIRST ONE THERE

Griffith [11:04 AM]

He's got a whole room full of writers, but he runs it. he's the editor, for better or worse.

Song [11:04 AM]

Yeah he needs an editor to be like

Yeah but Sam

that WOULD be cool

BUT HOW DOES IT HELP THE PLOT

Marvin [11:04 AM]

Fully commit to the new world you've created and then let us live in it, Esmail. I want post-apocalyptic dystopia with these characters.

Haas [11:04 AM]

I'd show up to filming locations and yell "cut this scene!"

Steele [11:04 AM]

You will hear the sound of Pete yelling at Sam in the background of all shots next season

Buzzi [11:04 AM]

haha, at every scene

Griffith [11:04 AM]

and he's say, it doesn't, but its in slow mo and has great music and the characters are coooool

Song [11:05 AM]

and then Pete would basically stare at him

Haas [11:05 AM]

"joanna is *being dragged away* garbaaaaage!"

Steele [11:05 AM]

"If we get some electronica in here this should work"

Buzzi [11:05 AM]

hahah

Marvin [11:05 AM]

Famous Mr. Robot Heckler and Anti Barb Activist, Social Pete

Steele [11:06 AM]

I think after living through this finale, we all deserve a coffee at Ron's

Song [11:06 AM]

We do.

Haas [11:06 AM]

but seriously, I just hope that the plan for Season 3 is tighter

Griffith [11:06 AM]

With Ollie on the board at the FBI, I hope season 3 has MORE GROBAN

Steele [11:06 AM]

We will tweet all our chats at Sam

Haas [11:06 AM]

and not just a lazy bridge to Season 4

Buzzi [11:06 AM]

Hopefully. Hopefully they're aware of people feeling this way, no idea if they are

Song [11:06 AM]

Oh can i just say

Steele [11:06 AM]

So he can take them into consideration

Marvin [11:06 AM]

Rein in the A E S T H E T I C just a tad.

Song [11:06 AM]

I almost died laughing

when it zeroed in on Ollie

Buzzi [11:06 AM]

haha

Song [11:06 AM]

For a half second, I thought

Haas [11:06 AM]

I wanted him to be at the top of the board

Song [11:06 AM]

OMG THE FBI IS SO DUMB

Steele [11:06 AM]

Of course Ollie lives in Murray Hill

Marvin [11:06 AM]

So glad Ollie made a cameo in an even sadder way than his last one.

Haas [11:06 AM]

DON OLLIE

Buzzi [11:06 AM]

that would be AMAZING

Griffith [11:07 AM]

@Song me too! i thought he was their mastermind!

Song [11:07 AM]

Right??

Griffith [11:07 AM]

woulda been so great

Song [11:07 AM]

I wanted Darlene to just die laughing

Buzzi [11:07 AM]

Whiterose's other costume: Ollie

Song [11:07 AM]

and Dom being confused

Griffith [11:07 AM]

Dom would go home and cry to Alexa about it.

Steele [11:07 AM]

I think Alexa solved that whole thing honestly

Haas [11:08 AM]

did Amazon pay for Alexa's inclusion in the show?

Song [11:08 AM]

Probs

Haas [11:08 AM]

because if so, they shouldn't have

Steele [11:08 AM]

They had to

Marvin [11:08 AM]

I do like the fact that obviously Whiterose has been planning to obliterate Price and his company from the face of the Earth for a long time. He knows Price is ultimately too big a threat, as far as world domination goes. Haas [11:08 AM]

"Amazon Echo: it's for sad people!"

Song [11:08 AM]

I'm on Team Whiterose and team Give BD Wong an Emmy

Speaking of which, YAY RAMI MALEK

Buzzi [11:08 AM]

I will still say, cus I maintained not thinking Tyrell was well-established or important seeming enough to make finding him the end game through the season, that I'm more annoyed by his presence than anything. His character has taken such a weird turn from initial enemy.

Steele [11:08 AM]

I didn't want the Echo before but certainly now I feel like it's a harbinger of not just spying but sadness

Song [11:08 AM]

And Rami Malek's acceptance speech

Griffith [11:08 AM]

I thought the opening credit would say "Emmy Winner Rami Malek"

Marvin [11:08 AM]

That acceptance speech was bae.

Buzzi [11:09 AM]

Glad he won, he's great

Haas [11:09 AM]

it's very hard to imagine anyone else in that role

Song [11:09 AM]

@Buzzi I never thought of Tyrell as an antagonist

Steele [11:09 AM]

Rami deserved the win and BD Wong deserves one next year

Song [11:09 AM]

Because, I mean, Elliot is our hero but he does some not-so-nice things as Mr. Robot

Griffith [11:09 AM]

I hope next season we get to see a little of how Tyrell's been living for the last few months.

Song [11:09 AM]

like yanno

plot an entire murder building explosion

Marvin [11:09 AM]

They need to figure out who/what Tyrell is to the show. And then tell us because nobody has any idea.

Steele [11:09 AM]

And how his suits still look so good

Griffith [11:09 AM]

exactly.

Buzzi [11:09 AM]

He was certainly the enemy for a while in season 1, and they made him a much bigger deal in season 2 than I ever thought he was. didnt really care about him by the end

Griffith [11:09 AM]

too clean

Steele [11:10 AM]

I think I just unintentionally promoted Suits

Which I have watched the last two minutes of all season

Haas [11:10 AM]

yeah, I don't understand how Tyrell is able to just walk around without any sort of disguise

Song [11:10 AM]

The thing is, since we follow elliot's POV, and Elliot knows exactly jack shit about what's going on

Marvin [11:10 AM]

Characters welcome!

Griffith [11:10 AM]

UNwelcome by the FBI!

Buzzi [11:10 AM]

I guess he's mostly stayed in the warehouse, and only came to Elliot in cab by night

Just, I dunno. The whole "operation" master plan is literally him on a computer in an empty room?

Steele [11:11 AM]

Dark Army would have chauffeurs, you'd think

Song [11:11 AM]

I feel like hacking looks like that though

Dudes sitting in a room

on a computer

Haas [11:11 AM]

I hope I look that clean-cut after hiding in a warehouse from the FBI for several months

Buzzi [11:11 AM]

Pete, if there's something you need to tell us, or a country you need to flee to

Haas [11:12 AM]

apparently I wouldn't need to flee! FBI can't go into warehouses

Marvin [11:12 AM]

Pete killed barb

Steele [11:12 AM]

Right wherever Social Pete is going, we all go

Song [11:12 AM]

I hope it's somewhere warm

with a nice beach

Steele [11:12 AM]

Who else would read us Facebook comments?

Haas [11:12 AM]

warehouses are FBI kryptonite

Buzzi [11:12 AM]

never check them, nobody's ever there

Griffith [11:12 AM]

The FBI couldn't get in there past that DA guy.

Haas [11:12 AM]

"ehh, probably just some boxes in there. let's go check NOWHERE instead"

Griffith [11:13 AM]

he woulda got BBQ sauce on them

Buzzi [11:13 AM]

haha yeah, the one guy eating a sandwich

Steele [11:13 AM]

Not even when they're right next door to all the most important documents in the world at the moment

Buzzi [11:13 AM]

right?!

Song [11:13 AM]

shhhhhhhhhhhh

Griffith [11:13 AM]

You know what's most unbelievable? that E Corp doesn't have, essentially, it's own private military that would check that warehouse and everywhere nearby.

Buzzi [11:13 AM]

great security from "the most powerful conglomerate in the history of the world", a phrase we've been told repeatedly

yes

Steele [11:13 AM]

I suppose we should applaud the technical people at Mr. Robot for figuring out how to make fire with code

Song [11:14 AM]

That was pretty impressive.

Marvin [11:14 AM]

True. E-Corp should definitely have more of a Hydra/Darkseid military arm.

Griffith [11:14 AM]

we all know the future is government collapse and the corporations taking over with their merc armies. that's season 5 of MR Robot!

Steele [11:14 AM]

I would have gone with "I just have to plug my Note 7 in for a minute"

Haas [11:14 AM]

maybe they have a good explanation for all of these things but it's hard to tell it when you're unspooling so many major plot details in 10 minutes

Buzzi [11:14 AM]

yeah, I dont think they do

Song [11:14 AM]

I think maybe they do, but they just don't tell us so it looks like they don't.

Buzzi [11:14 AM]

they're definitely hand-waving a lot of the logic calls

Song [11:15 AM]

^ that would be the Mr. Robot answer

Haas [11:15 AM]

well they've got a full year to figure out an explanation

Marvin [11:15 AM]

pay no attention to the logic behind the aesthetic

Buzzi [11:15 AM]

yeah, they have a plan for plot events I think, but I dont think they put too much thought into warehouse stuff we just talked about

Marvin [11:15 AM]

The Mr. Robot finale was literally the last thing that happened this summer. Happy fall, guys. See you in 2017, Esmail & Co.

Steele [11:16 AM]

Aside from "must have chicken sandwich and good soundtrack"

Song [11:16 AM]

I want to see Elliot drinking a Pumpkin Spice Latte

ala that happy montage from Season 1

Buzzi [11:16 AM]

Like that one scene!

Yea that was great

Griffith [11:16 AM]

Next year they'll be back but it'll still be 2015 in Mr. Robot land.

Steele [11:16 AM]

And just the next week

Marvin [11:16 AM]

If nothing else, this season did give us 20 minutes of 90s sitcom nostalgia. For that I am thankful.

Song [11:16 AM]

Ha. I guess I'll have to finally check out that iphone game to tide me over

Marvin [11:17 AM]

Famous manslaughterer, Alf.

Steele [11:17 AM]

And the VR thing

While I drink a PSL

Song [11:17 AM]

Wearing a hoodie.

Steele [11:17 AM]

In 90-degree New York on this first day of fall

This has been a great season for us, if not for Elliot

Haas [11:18 AM]

or CTO guy

his summer suuuucked

Song [11:18 AM]

Or anybody on the show really.

It's been a rough summer for all of them.

Buzzi [11:18 AM]

Somebody has to be on top

Whiterose!

Marvin [11:18 AM]

Idk, Whiterose had a pretty nice time this season.

^

Song [11:18 AM]

Nah, I think Whiterose is stressin' in secret

going "These dumb motherfuckers."

Griffith [11:18 AM]

Price is doing okay.

Song [11:18 AM]

"I gotta go fix everything"

Marvin [11:19 AM]

Price's world is going to come crashing down very soon.

Buzzi [11:19 AM]

If Price can pull off the Ecoin move, he could be on the up

Song [11:19 AM]

If.

Griffith [11:19 AM]

He's still got money to rent the whole restaurant tho

and probably has a helluva golden parachute

Song [11:19 AM]

Treasury Secretary Jack Lew holds the keys to that.

Griffith [11:19 AM]

even if they company goes belly up

Steele [11:19 AM]

But he wants power

Buzzi [11:19 AM]

Price is gonna end up getting pushed out of a window, or something

Haas [11:19 AM]

yeah, but getting dumped from the company would be hell for him because he likes being in charge

Song [11:19 AM]

By Angela.

Angela's gonna push him out the window.

Gonna turn up those big blue doe eyes. He's gonna be like finally yuss. And then she just shoves him out, Jaime Lannister style.

Marvin [11:20 AM]

We Are All Team Angela

Steele [11:21 AM]

It seems probable

Griffith [11:21 AM]

fingers crossed

Marvin [11:21 AM]

most of us anyway, it would seem

Song [11:21 AM]

I HAVE ONE FINAL BURNING QUESTION

WHO IS FEEDING QWERTY????

Steele [11:21 AM]

I have been worried about him this whole time

Also: will anyone rescue Flipper from his unfit owner?

Buzzi [11:22 AM]

Well, I didn't want to have to point this out, but clearly it's needed

QWERTY is Whiterose

Song [11:22 AM]

...

Steele [11:22 AM]

Angela ate Qwerty in that dream sequence last season so I have never trusted her with him

Song [11:22 AM]

I was so happy when she said Qwerty was getting fat. Now I know why she was fattening him up.

Marvin [11:23 AM]

Maybe Ollie can adopt QWERTY. He needs a friend to look on as he cries himself to sleep in his Murray Hill apartment.

Song [11:23 AM]

Please. Ollie would drop him into a glass of beer.

Buzzi [11:23 AM]

Ollie would pin some conspiracy on him

Song [11:23 AM]

Qwerty would commit suicide after listening to too many albums of Josh Groban.

Buzzi [11:24 AM]

Of all the despicable people harming the world on this show....I'm really glad the consensus is Ollie as the most hated

Griffith [11:24 AM]

He's the worst.

Haas [11:24 AM]

between Game of Thrones and Mr Robot, the name Ollie has been ruined

Steele [11:24 AM]

I want the whole hack pinned on Ollie, everyone else goes free

Buzzi [11:24 AM]

Good point

Nobody will be named Ollie in the next few years

Griffith [11:25 AM]

Spin off in five years: "Better Call Trenton (and Mobley)"

Marvin [11:26 AM]

We know who their manager will be at Cinnabon.

Steele [11:26 AM]

Well thank you everybody for (almost) always watching (Buzzi) every week!

Haas [11:27 AM]

I'm so happy I don't have to stay up late on wednesdays anymore

Song [11:27 AM]

^^

Petition Esmail to move up Mr. Robot to 9pm

Haas [11:27 AM]

^

Marvin [11:27 AM]

It's been fun! Let's hope we can do something similar when the new season of Black Mirror premieres on Netflix next month.

Steele [11:27 AM]

I'm for that, Rob

Buzzi [11:27 AM]

I'm exhausted. I watched after 1am every time

Song [11:27 AM]

You're exhausted? I'm jetlagged.

and I still managed to watch episodes and be caught up

it's a miracle.

Buzzi [11:28 AM]

Well, you had extra weird waking hours as a result

Song [11:28 AM]

(no actually it's coffee)

Steele [11:28 AM]

@Song was a trooper

Buzzi [11:28 AM]

I got 4 hours of sleep to watch

Steele [11:28 AM]

A partially motivated by the Angela/Elliot scene trooper

Marvin [11:28 AM]

We're all tired from making it through this season.

Buzzi [11:28 AM]

And then it disappointed me!!

Song [11:28 AM]

I got home at 9 last night, was determined to take a 1 hr nap so I could watch live

DID NOT HAPPEN

Steele [11:28 AM]

But our chats didn't disappoint you

Song [11:29 AM]

found illegal streaming site and watched it when i woke up at 3 am

Buzzi [11:29 AM]

No, the chats made me watch it in a relatively timely fashion, really

I think Pete would've just stopped without the chat

Haas [11:29 AM]

UH HUH

Marvin [11:29 AM]

As for this chat, I'm going to say bonsoir

Steele [11:29 AM]

We owe Social Pete

Haas [11:29 AM]

it's the only thing that kept me going

Buzzi [11:29 AM]

I watch no TV show live, with the exception of GoT occassionally

Steele [11:30 AM]

Bon soir, everyone, even Ollie

Buzzi [11:30 AM]

No. Not Ollie.

Marvin [11:30 AM]

Play us out, Josh! :upside_down_face: